Douro River - Douro DOC - Douro Valley

The Douro River crosses the oldest Wine Region in the world, the demarcated Douro DOC Region, dated 1756, was created in the reign of King José I by his Minister Marquês de Pombal.

Also known as 'Wine Country', stretches along the Douro Valley from Barqueiros - Mesão Frio to Barca D'Alva dividing into three 'zones': Baixo-Corgo, Cima-Corgo and Douro Superior.

Rises in Sierra de Urbión in the Cantabrian Mountains in Spain and flows into the Atlantic Ocean on Porto in Portugal.

Its name 'Douro' has several origins: One of them comes from the Celtic dur meaning water. Another says that on the craggy slopes of its margins existed in faraway times gold nuggets, hence the name gold (ouro). Another version that derives from Latin Durius, or "to be hard", the hardness of its outlines its sinuosity, protruding rocks, violent and fast water flow rates, made this an untamed River.

With the construction of dams in the fifties and sixties the River was tamed definitely, creating reservoirs of waters, foremost the "Carrapatelo" lagoon dam which is one of the largest in the world, because it has a gap of 36 meters high. It's the only Iberian River with a dam sluice system that allows navigability in about 200 Kms from the Harbor up to Barca D'alva, bordering Spain.

The secular traditions of the culture of Wine, Olive and almond tree and the work done by man in the construction of thousands of kilometres of walls in shale, along the slopes of the river created a landscape of beauty, that is exceptionally located. Due to this authenticity and integrity of the cultural landscape UNESCO raised in 2001 the Alto Douro wine region to the level of heritage of humanity.

in www.pipadouro.pt